Former professional Go player Lee Sedol has stepped into the reality of everyday society as a rookie worker for a new television program.
On the morning of October 22, a press conference for the new KBS 2TV variety show ‘Baeksu Lee Sedol’ was held at the KBS Annex Public Hall in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul.
‘Baeksu Lee Sedol’ is a real analog survival program that follows Lee Sedol, the ‘unemployed representative of humanity’ who retired from the professional Go world after achieving a legendary victory against AI AlphaGo in 2016, as he dives directly into workplaces that machines cannot replace.
Lee Sedol is a legendary professional Go player (9-dan) who dominated the global Go scene with 14 international championship titles and a creative attacking style. He left a strong impression by becoming the only human professional to win a match against the artificial intelligence ‘AlphaGo’ in 2016, and after retiring from active play in 2019, he has continued taking on new challenges in various fields.
Lee Sedol shared his thoughts, stating, “I didn’t retire with anything specific set in mind. I think I’m still in the process of looking for something to replace Go. By experiencing various things through this program, rather than diving deeply into a specific job, I feel like I am learning about society and life as a whole.”
He continued, “I was surprised when I first received the offer. It’s rare to be captivated just by hearing a program’s name, but I was hooked. I felt fluttered even before meeting the production team. It was a meaningful time to actually experience various jobs and learn about society and life rather than just the occupations. Since the number of episodes isn’t long, my lower back got a bit stiff from working, so I feel like I might need to go back out there.”
Comedian Jang Do-yeon expressed her thoughts, saying, “I wondered what Lee Sedol would actually be like. I was curious to see someone doing things they had never tried before. Every time I watched him, I noticed that while Go requires a great deal of calculation, he approached these tasks purely and wholeheartedly without any calculations, doing his absolute best. I believe that even if it hadn’t been Go, he would have reached the top in whichever field he poured his efforts into.”
Jung Jae-hyung remarked, “I thought Lee Sedol wouldn’t talk much. But he accepts any given task like a child. It was truly astonishing. I felt that I should learn from that attitude. Instead of acting old or treating one’s career like a badge of honor, one should strip all of that away and focus like a boy. And he actually talks a lot. But I think that comes from his profession. Since Go involves reviewing games, he remembers even his smallest finger movements. His meticulous self-review is what makes him such a great person. His concentration and review skills are phenomenal, and viewers will find a lot of entertainment in that. The program title is named after Lee Sedol, and he possesses that level of human charm.
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The new KBS 2TV variety show ‘Baeksu Lee Sedol’ premieres on October 23 at 8:30 PM KST.
